Deckenia nobilis

Deckenia nobilis

Deckenia nobilis is originally native to the Seychelles palm that alone forms the genus Deckenia.

Features

Deckenia is a single-stemmed, monoecious palm. The trunk can reach a height of 30 meters or more, the diameter does not exceed 45 cm. The trunk is very straight, mostly light gray, the rings of leaf scars are darker. The crown shaft is cylindrical, down slightly wider, and mostly light green, rare blue-green to purple. Young palms are on the trunk, the crown stem and petioles densely covered with 5 to 7.5 cm long spines. These gradually disappear with age, so the trees are unarmed when they have reached a height of about 3.6 meters.

The crown is large and round. The leaves from 3 to 3.6 m long and feathered. The leaflets are up to 1.3 m long, linear- lanceolate, dark green and flaccid to semi- continuous. The Blattrhachis is usually rotated in the middle, so that the apical half of the sheet is in a vertical plane.

The spathe of the inflorescence is prickly, regardless of the age of the flowering tree. The inflorescences arise from buds below the crown shaft. They are a bunch of yellow branches on which sit both male and female flowers. The fruits are small, oval and black.

Dissemination and locations

Deckenia is endemic to the Seychelles. It grows in the rainforest on hills, slopes and low mountains, mostly within sight of the coast, but also up to 2000 m above sea level. In some areas it forms dense colonies that also, prevent the growth of any vegetation among them, of their own seedlings through the falling leaves. The species is threatened by loss of habitat and by collecting the hearts of palm.

System

Deckenia nobilis is the only species of the genus Deckenia. It is placed in the subfamily Arecoideae, Tribe Areceae, subtribe Oncospermatinae within the family palmaceus. The genus name honors the German explorer Karl K. Decker, the specific epithet means noble and refers to the size and appearance of the Art

Use

Deckenia is drawn in the tropics as an ornamental plant, its dissemination is, however due to their strong sensitivity to cold boundaries. It requires high humidity, humus-rich soil and full after the seedling stage sunlight.

The hearts of palm are eaten, prepared, among others, as a salad. The type or prepared from their salad is also called " millionaire salad ".

Documents

• Robert Lee Riffle, Paul Craft: An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms, 4th edition, Timber Press, Portland, 2007, ISBN 978-0-88192-558-6, pp. 321f.